If the original article contained multiple experiments, which one did you attempt to replicate? e.g., you might respond 'Study 1' or 'Experiment 4'.

Experiment 1

Link to PDF of Original Report

Brief Statement of Original Result

The subjects were shown a black and white photo of a woman on a red or a white background. Elliot and Niesta (2008) found that men perceived the woman more attractive when presented on the red background than the white background.

A power analysis based on the effect size of the original experiment (d = 1.22) indicated we would need at least n = 24 subjects to detect an effect of that size with Power (1-β) = .80 and α = .05

Male subjects participated in a brief survey. The subjects ranged in age from 18 to 23 years (M = 19.86, SD = 1.19).

Each subject was randomly assigned to a red photo background group (n = 22) or a white photo background group (n = 22). A manila folders, that was handed to each subject, contained a black and white photograph of a woman’s head and upper torso with a neutral expression on her face. The photo was centered on a red background or on a white background. A brief survey asked the subjects their age and to rate the woman’s attractiveness on a scale ranging from 1 (extremely unattractive) to 9 (extremely attractive).

The experimenters approached every ninth male who entered The DeNaples Center at The University of Scranton and asked them whether they would be willing to participate in a one-minute survey. The subjects were randomly assigned by the experimenters to the red background group or the white background group.

An independent groups t-test was used to examine whether the woman in the photo was perceived as more attractive with the red background compared to the white background. It was found that the subjects in the white background group (M = 6.32, SD = 0.78) provided lower attractiveness ratings than those in the red background group (M = 7.23, SD = 0.75). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant, t(42) = -3.937, SE = .223, p

Any Known Methodological Differences (between original and present study)?

We had more subjects in our study than the original study by Elliot and Niesta (2008). Our replication study also took place in a public location on a college campus, whereas the original study was conducted in a closed environment.